The backend of a web application is considered the heart of the software product. And there are several technologies and programming languages available today to develop the most sophisticated backend of your web application.

The backend requires care and attention to detail when building it, thus, the utmost care & attention must be given when selecting the tool and tech stack for the same. ExpressJS is one of the most utilized tools for developing the backend of web applications. And in this article, I’m going to explain the features and benefits offered by the ExpressJS framework.

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But before we get into those, let’s quickly understand what ExpressJS is.

What is ExpressJS?

ExpressJS is an open-source Node web app development framework that is flexible and minimal. It is used for developing the backend of web applications rapidly and efficiently and provides robust features.

The framework offers a myriad of HTTP utilities and middleware for the quick and easy development of robust APIs. ExpressJS is built around configuration and the granular simplicity of connecting middleware.

Since ExpressJS is built on top of JavaScript, it becomes easier for programmers to develop web applications & APIs without much effort. Furthermore, it’s based on the NodeJS framework, which means most of the code is written keeping Node developers in mind.

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Is ExpressJS used for backend development?

For backend web development, Express.js is frequently used. It is a well-known Node. js-based web application framework that offers a selection of tools and capabilities for developing reliable and scalable online apps. Express.js makes it easier to create web apps with Node.js by giving programmers a straightforward framework that enables them to easily construct HTTP servers and manage HTTP requests and responses.

Web applications, backend services, and RESTful APIs are frequently created with Express.js. Building backend services for online and mobile apps is made simple by its inclusion of technologies like routing, middleware, template engines, and database integration. more than 1900 companies around the world use Expressjs for backend development.

The lightweight and flexible Express.js framework is perfect for creating web applications that need to be highly performant and scalable. Also, it has a sizable and active community, which means that developers can leverage a wide range of resources, tools, and frameworks while creating apps with Express.js.

If ExpressJS is not utilized properly, developers may have to do rigorous programming & coding to build the backend of apps & APIs. Express makes Node programming effortless. Here are some more reasons why should you use ExpressJS:

Why Use ExpressJS for Backend Development?

Express is built on top of JS language, which is widely used for frontend development projects and even for backend development. This makes ExpressJS easy to learn and is supported everywhere. So, developers who are familiar with JS can easily start programming on ExpressJS.

Moreover, ExpressJS makes it extremely easy for developers to get started and build different kinds of web applications. It provides simple routing for requests made from the client side and has a middleware that is responsible for making decisions to give correct responses.

Routing, middleware, template engines, and database connection are just a few of the many capabilities that Express.js offers to make it simple to create web applications. When developing mobile applications, Express.js is simple to combine with other tools and technologies because it is compatible with a wide variety of other libraries and frameworks.

Without ExpressJS, developers would have to write their codes for building a routing component, which is a bit tedious and time-consuming process. Other reasons for developers to use ExpressJS include offering simplicity, efficiency, minimalism, scalability, and flexibility.

Since Express is a framework of NodeJS, it offers powerful performance to developers to build dexterous applications. ExpressJS has many more features that we are going to discuss in depth. So, let’s begin.

Features of ExpressJS

1. Quick Server-Side Development

ExpressJS incorporates many features of NodeJS, which developers can quite commonly use in the form of functions. These functions then are used by developers readily anywhere in the program. As a result, developers won’t have to code for an extensive period and save a lot of time while increasing productivity at the same time.

2. Middleware

Middleware is a program component with access to client requests, databases, and many other middlewares. The primary function of the middleware is to systematically arrange various functions of the ExpressJS framework.

3. Integration

Several well-liked databases, including MongoDB, MySQL, and PostgreSQL, can be integrated with Express.js. To connect to a database, conduct  CRUD tasks, and deal with database issues, developers can utilize middleware or plugins.

4. Routing

ExpressJS offers an advanced version of the routing mechanism compared to other frameworks. Thanks to this advanced routing mechanism, ExpressJS can preserve the condition of a web page using its URLs.

5. Templating

The templating engine in ExpressJS enables the backend developers to create dynamic content on the web pages by developing HTML templates.

6. Security

Express.js comes with tools like HTTPS support, CSRF prevention, and XSS protection to aid developers in creating safe web apps.

7. Debugging

Debugging tools come in handy for developing a successful web application project. ExpressJS has more accessible debugging tools that have advanced features to exactly pinpoint the specific component of web pages that have bugs.

Benefits of ExpressJS for Backend Development

1. Scale the Application Quickly

Scaling the application built using ExpressJS quickly is one of the most notable benefits of the framework. Further, there’s additional support provided by the Node, which gives ExpressJS added advantage to scale applications further rapidly.

The lightweight and flexible Express.js framework is ideal for developing web applications that need customization and flexibility. The request/response processing pipeline can be customized by developers by using their own middleware that they can easily link with other libraries and frameworks.

2. JavaScript Benefits

Since ExpressJS & NodeJS both are based on JavaScript, learning the language is not so difficult even for non-technical people. Due to the popularity of JS, developing the backend of applications is extremely easy.

3. Google’s V8 Engine Support

Google’s V8 Engine support which is used for NodeJS also supports ExpressJS. Thus, using it for server-side development in web applications will offer better performance without error or lag in the processing.

4. Community Support

Express.js has a sizable and active developer community that actively contributes to its advancement and supports one another. As a result, developers can leverage a wide variety of resources, tools, and frameworks to create apps with Express.js.

5. Quick Development

Web development frameworks ease the work of developers by building fast, responsive, and sophisticated web applications. ExpressJS offers pre-made libraries, functions, and tools that accelerate the development process. 

The Spinoff projects based on the Express such as Poet, Feathers, LoopBack, and others help developers accomplish a lot of tedious tasks and make the process faster and smoother.

Conclusion

ExpressJS is a minimal framework that provides developers with all the necessary tools and features for developing the most logical and sophisticated backend of web applications. Features like templating, routing, debugging, middleware, and others support high-end development. Moreover, the framework is user-friendly, well-documented, and has active support from a vast community of developers.

Do you also plan to build your web application on JavaScript-based ExpressJS? We can provide you with a team of expert developers to build the most logical backend of a web app. We offer various software and product development services that you can leverage. Contact us or write to us at connect@ashutec.com for more information on developing a sophisticated web application.